


A Distinct Lack of Pleasant Busting; of Ghosts, at Any Rate.

by Opulopful



Category: Paranatural (Webcomic)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 18:32:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18665995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Opulopful/pseuds/Opulopful
Summary: Marcella has some critical remarks about the busting of ghosts





	A Distinct Lack of Pleasant Busting; of Ghosts, at Any Rate.

It was a moonless summer night and late enough that all decent, rational people had gone to sleep. This meant, of course, that it was the perfect time for another illicit movie night at Mayview Academy.

"I've never understood why you like that movie so much." Marcella's voice came from the top bunk. Liz looked down at the well-worn case of her copy of Ghostbusters (1984) in her hand with affection.

"I thought you liked this movie."

"It's one of my favorites but I don't know why you like it. I mean, you can't even really see what's happening half the time."

"What are you talking about?"

The Ghostbusters (1984) theme began playing from Liz's laptop. She set it on the floor and lay facing it on the bottom bunk. Marcella flipped down from above and landed next to her in one smooth motion. She had always seemed to Liz to be a bit more agile than a decent and respectable person had any right to be.

"I mean, ghosts are invisible, right? You can't even see what they're shooting at with their proton packs." Marcella crossed her arms petulantly.

"Which ghosts can't you see? Oh, yeah... I guess there is... that scene... where you can't see the ghost but that's just one out of dozens of ghosts in the movie. Nothing to get upset about. I wonder why you can see all the other ghosts in the movie except... that one. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm ok not seeing it."

"Wait, you can see them too?" Marcella suddenly sounded excited.

"Haha, yeah imagine if they were lazy and just didn't put any of the cgi and said 'oh, you can't see them because ghosts are invisible'"

The laptop explained to them in no uncertain terms that "Busting makes me feel good"

"Oh, haha, CGI, right... What scene are you talking about?" Marcella looked oddly relieved.

"You know... that one." Marcella stared at her blankly. "With the... you know... zipper"

"Oh that scene. Yeah it's so weird that they included such a gross scene in the middle of the movie. And the ghost is so much more realistic."

"Yeah, I guess, since it's invisible."

"Right *ahem* invisible, yes. Sure am glad I can't see all those tentacles."

"What?"

Venkman began demonstrating the exemplary integrity of psychological testing in the '80s. Marcella had managed her whole life to miss the subtext of this opening scene of Ghostbusters (1984) due to her prevailing interest in the violation of institutional ethics exhibited by Venkman in this scene. She considered Ghostbusters to be a scathing commentary on the social climate of the 1980s which used ghosts as the stand-ins for different lower social classes and the ghost busting team as a metaphor for government-hired agencies whose purpose was to subdue and oppress the lower class in order for the wealthy to maintain their power. Marcella considered Ghostbusters (1984) to be one of the most misunderstood and under appreciated political satires of the 20th century.

"I just wish it get its facts straight. Clearly some of those things are spirits, not ghosts." said Marcella, leaning back on her elbows.

"What's the difference?" asked Liz.

"Well, Slimer is clearly a spirit, see. Nobody looks like that. Ghosts come from dead people, spirits come from other stuff."

"Mhm"

"... Or so I've heard."

The ghost in the library finished making her selection and decided to check out.

"What is up with that ectoplasm?" complained Marcella. She was getting on a roll now. "That's not how it works at all."

"Really? I had no idea." Liz decided to see how far this would go.

"And there's no way Gozer could turn that lady into a medium so quickly. Plus physical changes like that take years."

"What about the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man?" asked Liz. She had never seen Marcella commit to a joke so thoroughly and was finding it very amusing to encourage her.

"See, that's what I was wondering too. Is the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man an individual spirit of its own or is it a manifestation of Gozar's spirit power? It must be a manifestation, right? Gozer must have some sort of mind-reading, construct-making ability. Because if it were a spirit by itself, its goo wouldn't linger after it got destroyed. But then, Gozer was destroyed too, right?

Marcella had gotten up and begun to pace around the room, oblivious to the behest of the Ghostbusters to call the number on your screen.

"So then, you have to wonder: Did Gozer actually get destroyed, or is she... he.. IT still out there somewhere biding its time? I don't know, Liz, but it keeps me up at night."

"I can see this is a very serious issue for you." said Liz, barely able to keep a straight face. Marcella had always been great at deadpan humor. "By the way, where did you get those cool suit-looking pajamas you always wear to bed? I've never seen them anywhere else."

"Um... Walmart probably?

"Hm. Must have been discontinued."

"Yeah that's probably it."

"It's great that they included the butt-flap option."

"I know, right!?"

The moonless night flowed onwards and the stars streamed across the sky overhead to the melodious sound of "I collect molds, spores, and fungus."


End file.
